Near 60km water pipeline “vital” for future supply, say councillors

Councillors in West Lindsey have said plans for 57km pipeline across Lincolnshire will be “vitally important” for meeting future water shortages.

Anglian Water’s proposed 57km pipe would move water from North Lincolnshire to the southern part of the county where rainfall is more scarce.

It will stretch from Elsham in the north to Waddington near Lincoln in the south.

Planning applications have been submitted to the four local authorities it would cross – City of Lincoln, West Lindsey, North Kesteven and North Lincolnshire.

At a meeting on Wednesday, West Lindsey’s planning committee voted unanimously to approve the proposals at outline stage, with details to come back at a later date.

Chairman Councillor Ian Fleetwood noted a “very dry” summer in the UK last year.

“The  objective for this pipeline is to move water over a long a long distance and water is a very precious commodity,” he said.

The Elsham to Lincoln pipeline is a critical part of Anglian Water’s upgrades | Photo: Anglian Water

Councillor David Dobbie said he was “well aware” of Lincoln’s growing water requirement alone.

“It’s part of our responsibility of one of the neighbouring district councils to support that growth with appropriate infrastructure. If it means coming through our bit of land, we need to go and do that,” he said.

Councillor Roger Patterson said it was “vital infrastructure” for the future of the county.

Anglian Water has said previously that the pipeline’s importance “cannot be understated” and is “critical in helping us secure water supplies across our region for many years to come.”

The pipeline will be buried below ground, and will be capable of carrying 55 million litres of water per day.

The proposal includes a 3km spur at Bracebridge Heath and a 1.5km spur at Welton.

Anglian Water said that the east of England in particular faces a huge challenge, with a potential shortfall of 30 million litres a day by 2025.